Northern Illinois @ Buffalo

Northern Illinois edged host Buffalo 18-16 at the University at Buffalo on February 3, 2024 in a tightly contested MAC dual.

The margin came down to bonus points. At 125 pounds Blake West turned a high-scoring match into a technical fall, beating Max Elton 17-2 and picking up five team points that shifted the bonus-point ledger toward Northern Illinois. That dominant result was one of the most decisive performances on the mat and gave NIU a critical advantage.

Buffalo answered back with a major of its own when Tommy Maddox rolled to a 17-9 major decision over Mikey Kaminski at 133 pounds, delivering four team points and keeping the Bulls within reach. Maddox’s bonus effort was necessary to keep the dual competitive and prevented Northern Illinois from pulling away on team scoring.

At heavyweight Jacobi Jackson added another major decision, defeating Lonnell Pabon 12-3 for four more team points that proved to be the difference in the final score. With bonus-point victories trading hands, Northern Illinois’ extra tech fall and Jackson’s major provided the edge needed to finish 18-16. In a matchup decided by bonus scoring rather than a run of decisions, those three bonus-point outcomes were the decisive moments of the dual.